Golden delight

LODI - The newest baby at Micke Grove Zoo may not glitter, but it sure is gold.

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By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted Apr. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By The Record
Posted Apr. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

LODI - The newest baby at Micke Grove Zoo may not glitter, but it sure is gold.

As in a rare golden-lion tamarin.

The tamarin was born Feb. 21 to Rio (mom) and Jesse (dad) and has 1-year-old twin sisters. They can all be seen from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a new enclosure at the zoo.

But whether to call the baby tamarin a boy or a girl will have to wait. Rio is doing a good job mothering baby, so veterinarians aren't yet needed. Soon, though, they'll conduct an examination and will determine the baby's sex.

Golden-lion tamarins are named for their golden fur and mane-like hair surrounding their heads. They are small primates whose natural habitat is a small section of Brazilian rainforest that has been damaged by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. They are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's red list for threatened species.

Fully grown, they are about 8 inches long and only weigh a few pounds, Micke Grove Zoo Curator Avanti Mallapur said.

A visitor can see how active the tamarins can be. They are very athletic and jump quickly around their cage, hanging from the wired ceilings and sides.

The infant is in one of two family groups at the zoo - the other consists of Jesse's parents and younger siblings. Micke Grove Zoo, in Micke Grove Regional Park, is one of the zoological institutions involved in a species survival program that helps breed golden-lion tamarins to help prevent their extinction.

Mallapur said it's very important for tamarins to be trained to be good parents, and they do that by living as a family for several years. The 1-year-old twins, for example, will see how Jesse and Rio interact with and care for the newborn.

"Jesse is a great dad," Mallapur said. "We've noticed that he is the one that carries the infant around most of the time. It's good for the others to see that."

Once it's determined the tamarins are trained to be good parents, they will be sent to other zoos to start families of their own.

For more information on the zoo, visit mgzoo.com or call (209) 331-2010.